Misplaced
by LeaNicolaie
Summary: An entirely unlikely possibility drops literally out of the air one fine evening. Are Zero and Kaname so incompatible? Their son would like to differ. KanaZeroKana. Implied m-preg.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello y'all. Yeah. I rewrote the first two chaps. So for the first timers, bear with me.

**WARNING:** As mentioned in the summary, there's implied **M-PREG.** And for those who have preferences, **Zero is NOT the 'mother'.** While I have nothing against him getting knocked up, I've my own reasons why not :)

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Displaced 01

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"Not doing it."

Chairman Cross pinched the bridge of his nose. "Zero…"

"If you want someone to play babysitter, you can go hire a professional." Kiryuu Zero flicked his wrist to send the summons he had received fluttering back to Cross' desk. He had been enjoying another nap in between classes when Yuuki had harassed him back into reality with a written message from the chairman demanding his presence.

Actually half concerned, he immediately came to regret wasting his thoughts on the matter the moment Cross uttered, "The Night class needs…"

He was a Prefect. He was a Guardian. He was a Student. He knew there were certain responsibilities that went along with his unwanted social titles, but he would offer nothing more than was required. Chaperoning a group of level B vampires on an outing on his free time was certainly not one of them – especially when he could be getting paid to _kill_ vampires instead. As a hunter who enjoyed his profession unlike a certain chairman, there was no doubt as to how Zero was planning to spend his evenings.

"Zero, you can't let Yuuki do this on her own…"

Zero's smirk resembled that of a pleased shark. It helped he actually _had_ fangs. "_Yuuki_," he stressed, "is leaving with Wakaba for the weekend. It's Friday." Yuuki always chose a single weekend during the month for 'Girl Time' with her best friend. No distractions. No school. No Guardian duties. Just two days of fun and relaxation.

The cajoling smile on Cross' face dropped. "…I see."

Yeah, Zero bet he did. So. "Not doing it."

Turning for the door, he nearly stumbled when a bright flash of light went off in the middle of the room, blinding him and the chairman. The light went out as fast as it came.

"What…!" He quickly tried to blink out the after image and shook his head.

"Zero, are you okay?" Cross was doing much the same, placing his glasses back on his face, squinting at him from behind the lenses.

"Ye—"

"Whoa… _Dad_…?"

Bloody Rose was out and ready in less than a second. The third presence he felt in the room couldn't be mistaken for anything but a vampire.

Wide eyes stared up at Zero in complete surprise as he aimed his gun – eyes that seemed unnaturally familiar.

"Uh, Dad…?"

The grip on his gun tightened. "Who are you and what are you doing here, _vampire_?"

The vampire's jaw dropped. "Dad, what are you…?" He then blinked. "Oh." He blinked again and looked Zero up and down. "_Oh_…so… You're _not _Dad." He groaned. "Oh man…! So then I… Oh _man_…!" He bit his lip and tugged uncomfortably at the hem of his tailored shirt before glancing back up hopefully. "You're _really_ not Dad…?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're _not_ Dad." The boy moaned. "Holy fuck." He gasped a bit and quickly amended, "I mean, darn it!"

"_Who are you_," Zero ground out. Cross seemed too busy gaping to ask any questions.

"If you don't know me, I shouldn't tell you." The boy shook his head.

Zero aimed Bloody Rose at his forehead and clicked the safety back.

"The name's Natsumi!"

"Full name."

"Uh…" Wide eyes went cross-eyed at the barrel of the gun and Natsumi swallowed. "…Kuran Natsumi." He answered lowly.

"Kuran…" Zero shot the chairman a look. The man shook his head in confusion. He obviously didn't know about another Kuran existing.

"You're related to Kuran Kaname then."

"I shouldn't—"

His finger went on the trigger. "Are you?"

"Yep."

"How?"

"…Can I just say we're very closely related?" The boy slowly pointed at his face. "I look enough like him for it to be true, right?"

Indeed he did. Annoyingly so. It was a wonder Zero hadn't noticed it sooner.

"Another pureblood." He spat.

"Uh, yeah, that too." Natsumi muttered.

"And why did you call me…_that_?" Zero said, referring to the kid calling him his dad.

"Ooh." Natsumi smiled nervously. "Just a mistake. You look a lot like him. That's all." He shrugged. "Sorry."

Zero sighed and gently lowered his gun. It would just be his luck to look like a pureblood vampire's father. He held in a shudder. He was almost insulted.

"Don't worry." Natsumi grinned. "You act _nothing_ like him."

Small comfort and all that.

Cross interrupted with a cough. "Kuran Natsumi, was it…? You claim to be a pureblood of Kaname's line, but," he gestured vaguely, "there are no records of your identity anywhere. Considering your age…" He sounded awkward; Zero suspected he was just blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

"Can't tell you." Natsumi shrugged again. "Seriously. I'm in enough trouble as it is, coming here. Never mind _Dad_, _Papa's_ going to blow like a volcano." He shivered.

Catching onto the distinction between the two paternal titles, which should have referred to the same person, Cross asked, "You've two different fathers?"

Natsumi's smile was disturbingly bright. "Yeah! And if you got a problem with that, you can keep the nasty comments to yourself."

Zero made a vaguely confused strangled grunt. "What the hell?"

Cross chuckled. "I've no problems. So both of your parents are alive, then."

"Of course! They're not planning to die for a long, long while."

Zero was still stuck on 'Dad' and 'Papa' not being the same person. Was the kid adopted? It wasn't uncommon for same sex couples to do that, right? But he'd never heard of vampire adoption. They were big on blood and ancestry and other complicated shit that came along with it, so he assumed it was rare. Could Kuran Natsumi have been a special case, considering he was a pureblood?

The thought of an orphaned pureblood brought to mind another pureblood he couldn't help comparing.

Kuran Kaname had been made Ichiou's ward after his parents' suicide. But even as a Kuran pureblood, he hadn't been adopted. It could have been a preference, to merely have a legal stand-in, not a legal parental figure, but all the same, Kuran Natsumi's situation just seemed to get iffier the more he talked.

Not to mention, "How did you get here?"

The chairman had obviously been thinking along the same lines.

"Eh. Just pulled the usual."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"…I tried out a few rune-based charms. Thought it was cool, you know. I thought I could help Dad skip his meeting so he could be with Papa – it's his birthday – but I guess it got screwy and I went back a lot further than I wanted." Natsumi's sheepish smile dropped when he was faced with blank looks for his rambling explanation. "…I activated two overlapped charms and then came here." He flatly simplified.

If he'd thought things strange, they were definitely bordering on mind-boggling now. Charms, runes, 'going back'…it sounded like the children's books his brother liked to read when they were younger, filled with miracles, fairies and princes, damsels in distress in need of a dragon-slaying knight. The kid mentioned it with mildness that spoke of familiarity, as if he encountered magical charms and its 'screw ups' everyday.

"I…see. Is it safe to say you don't know how to get back?" The chairman looked just as lost as he did.

"It was only supposed to be for three days. If I'm not gone by then, I'm in trouble."

"A time-based charm."

"Pretty much. But since I messed up on the most important part of the charms, I don't know if the three days part is done right. If I don't get back by then, I'll either do my own research or my parents come to drag me back." He paused. "…I like the 'going back on my own' plan a lot more, just so you know."

"I'm sure."

When silence followed, Natsumi pointedly coughed. "You have some sort of library nearby? This is the academy, right? It should be decently stocked."

"Ah, yes!" The chairman clapped, the tenseness in his shoulders making the sound a lot sharper than intended. "The Moon dorm library should have whatever you need, but we would need to speak with the Dorm President for permission."

More silence.

"And you can't do that _now_?"

"I imagine he would be extremely inconvenienced to be forced awake in midday." The chairman waved to the open window where the light of the sun clearly shone through.

Zero briefly entertained ditching the whole issue altogether for some shut-eye – the chairman seemed to have things in perspective, and this was more than he was willing to handle – but a distinct presence walking steadily closer to the building and into the halls had his hunter senses perking in attention. The casual confidence and composed undertone didn't leave him second-guessing.

"Kaname, you're free to come in." The chairman cheerily called when the slight footsteps neared the door.

Kaname stepped in with a nod, lips set in a curious smile. "Good evening." His eyes were immediately drawn to the youngest vampire in the room. "Our dorm is in quite a ruckus over your mysterious guest."

Looking between said guest and Kaname, Zero's lips pursed, disconcerted.

Placed in the same room, the resemblance was uncanny. Natsumi could have been Kaname's double save a few minor differences. The lines of his brows, his jaw, and the curve of his lips were perhaps someone else's, but the rest was Kaname. Even their scent was near identical, though Natsumi's carried the soft tenderness that came with being a child.

Cross slowly shook his head wonderingly as he glanced from one pureblood to the other before coming up with an unimpressive, "Kaname, this is Kuran Natsumi. Natsumi, this is Kuran Kaname."

Kaname blinked and Natsumi blinked back. He then tucked his hair behind his ear and tilted his head, only to watch as Natsumi did the same.

"…I see."

"…I see." Natsumi echoed amusedly, eyes twinkling.

What the hell were they doing? Zero shot the chairman a bewildered glare. This wasn't some strange greeting ritual vampires practiced when meeting someone, was it? Having had enough, he crept for the door, tucking his gun back into its holster – the chairman and Kaname could very well deal with one stray vampire he didn't want to have anything to do with if not to kill. With his lunch break already squandered for the ridiculous meeting with the chairman, he wasn't going to waste any more time on matters he wasn't interested in.

That, and he was hungry. An image of the diner he frequented was already on his mind when he reached for the knob.

"Kiryuu-kun, would you join me for an early breakfast?"

_What?_

"No thank you, sempai."

"Oh, did it sound like a request? I'll reiterate: Join me for breakfast."

He thought that'd make a difference? "No thank you."

"We'll be dining in the same place; it'll be convenient for us to take a single table. I'll pay."

Zero nearly snorted. Dine at the same place? Kaname would never think of eating at a greasy diner. And Zero could pay for his own damn food. Not even bothering with an answer, he pulled the door open and tried to step out.

The deceptively delicate hand pushing the door closed kind of interfered with his plans.

"_Not_ eating with you, sempai." He groused, tensing at the warmth at his back.

"You will, Kiryuu-kun. If I have to carry you over my shoulder out of campus for the entire academy to see, I will, but either way, you are eating with me."

Zero hated to admit Kaname was probably serious.

He glowered down at his shoes.

Kaname smiled and removed his hand, following him out into the hallway. "And Natsumi, you may have complete access to our public resources." He commented like an afterthought over his shoulder before the door sealed shut.

Natsumi and the chairman watched them leave, the former in incredulous bemusement and the latter in a mixture of humor and suspicion.

"…Is that how people hit on each other in this time? 'Cause where I come from, that's pretty messed up."

The chairman choked a little and laughed. "Ah, I don't think so. It's simply how they communicate when in proximity with each other."

"Yeah. Whatever. It's weird."

. . .

Taking a sip of his ordered tea, Kaname added another spoonful of sugar, smiling at the boy across the table. "Kiryuu-kun I've some immediate concerns I'd like to discuss with you in relation to Natsumi."

"Yeah?" Zero kept his eyes on the rich color of the walls. He should've known Kaname wouldn't eat at a diner. But they served his comfort foods here supposedly just as well prepared as the diner he liked, so he'd warily acquiesced to Kaname's choice.

"His name and blood status are inconsistent with his appearance. He looks very much like you Kiryuu-kun."

_What?_

"He looks exactly like _you_." The poor kid.

Kaname absently scooped more sugar. "On the surface, yes. But the color of his hair and eyes are hardly sufficient in claiming genetic similarities with my line."

Zero threw him a bemused glare. "The," he waved a hand at Kaname's face, "shape of his…facial structure – it's exactly like yours."

"You know they aren't." Kaname added yet more sugar. "He shares much of your features, to an alarming degree, as well as your scent."

"…What are you saying?"

"Has he given you any indication of his ancestry? Mentions of family members, close relatives, perhaps."

"…He said he had two fathers." Zero said slowly, wondering where this was going. "That they were still alive. Something about a birthday for one of them." About to add the kid had mistaken him for his father, he quickly chose not to suffer through any more humiliation on what was turning out to be one crap-tastic day.

Finally satisfied with his tea, Kaname offered a nod. "Two fathers. It would explain his being a pureblood, not his resemblance to you."

"What does it matter what he _looks_ like?" From what he could see, Kaname was making a mountain out of a molehill. Wasn't purity the only priority? As long as the kid was a pureblood, he was good to go, regardless of who his parents happened to be.

"It matters significantly." Kaname said quietly. "…You recall him mentioning a birthday."

Zero gave an affirmative grunt.

"And yours is yet to pass, while mine is…"

Deciding to stave off how creepy it was Kaname somehow knew his birthday (on top of what he usually ordered at his favorite diner), he demanded, "what?"

Kaname sent him a sharp look of disappointment and murmured, "I suppose it was presumptuous of me to assume…" He gently shook his head. "The remote chance hasn't even crossed your mind." He seemed strangely subdued.

Sensing the conversation was over for now, Zero felt utterly relieved to see their food coming. He'll just eat, pay, leave, and put this bizarre talk behind him.

Stuffing himself with a forkful of meat, he ignored Kaname's next inquiry. "Natsumi aside, I'd advise you to reconsider your choice regarding our trip this weekend."

He went for a bit of the salad. Not bad. The cucumbers were nice.

"Kiryuu-kun."

And tomatoes. He couldn't do without the tomatoes.

"Kiryuu-kun."

His hand paused. On its own. Without him telling it to. No amount of strength could get it to move.

Glaring across the table, his eye nearly twitched at the sweet smile he got in return.

"I know your stomach is calling for attention, but if your feeble mind has the capacity for multitasking, I strongly encourage you to make use of it. Now."

Temper. Temper.

Nodding, he felt his arm released from whatever supernatural pureblood powers it was enchanted with, and went for another tomato just because he could. "I already told the chairman I'm not going."

"And deprive our entire class a rare educational opportunity?"

Zero slowly blinked, surprised Kaname would bother to ask a question with such an obvious answer: Fuck yeah.

As though reading his mind, Kaname's smile turned stiff. "You are forcing my hand, Kiryuu-kun. Do you want me to invite the Day class students to this trip as well? The chairman would be delighted, I'm sure."

Douche.

"I'll go."

"I'm glad to see you're capable of some form of thought."

The knife by his plate looked extremely tempting. He could claim for momentary insanity and people would believe him. Whatever damage he might inflict would heal over in seconds anyhow. He would go for the spoon too (they were useful for gouging things out), but he needed it for the soup.

"How do you find the food?"

"…I'm eating it, aren't I?"

"So you are." Kaname sounded mockingly amazed.

"What the hell is your problem?" He muttered. Kaname usually didn't go so out of his way to annoy him like this. The animosity he felt towards him was never disguised as something other than what it was, but it was rare for Kaname to vocalize it, most likely out of courtesy to Yuuki. Could Natsumi have made that much of an impression? He hadn't realized how unsettled the pureblood was at meeting the young boy.

Kaname poured himself another cup of tea. Zero vaguely noted the amount of sugar he dumped into it this time increased by two scoops.

Even knowing he'd regret it, Zero held in a sigh and reluctantly murmured, "…the kid. What's wrong with him?"

He received an assessing stare. "…I might have an idea of who his fathers are. If I'm right, Natsumi did not only skip time but entire dimensions. It would not be possible otherwise."

He mentally completely glossed over the 'skipping time' and 'entire dimensions' bit, instead frowning to ask, "Is returning him going to take longer than three days?" The kid's reaction to the possibility of his parents coming to find him after those three days indicated nothing good.

"…Are you not interested in knowing who fathered him?"

He absently swirled the spoon around in his soup before bringing some to his lips. "Are his fathers a threat?"

"Not in the way you're imagining, but in other ways, yes they are."

"How?"

The smile Kaname sent him was a bizarre mix of indulgence and pity. "It's best you remain unaware of the knowledge. These three days – is that the time frame Natsumi's been given?"

Irked by the blatant deflection, Zero pursed his lips. Kaname's ambiguity wasn't anything new. "Either he returns by then, as he's meant to, or his fathers come looking."

Kaname actually let out a faint grimace. "…I see."

Checking his watch, he contemplated whether it was worth making it to his second to last class and finished off the last of his soup before asking for separate checks. He could already hear Yuuki nagging his ears off and made a swift grab for the bill only to look up when his fingers met thin air.

"I recall telling you I'd be paying." Kaname slipped a card inside and passed it with a sweet smile to the waitress.

"Sempai…!"

"You may pay for the next meal if you like."

As if he'd ever suffer through another half hour with the asshole again just to repay him. Just as Kaname got his card back, he got up to leave.

. . .

"Oh my god, where could he have gone?" Kuran Yuuki groaned. She'd felt the presence of her nephew vanish from her library while she'd been distracted by her own son. Tasking Seiren with contacting her brother and his husband, she'd rushed around the manor for any sign of her nephew to no avail. She couldn't even find a stray hair. "He was right there." She pointed to an empty spot amidst a crowd of books splayed about in an arch.

"Natsumi…" Kaname bent down to examine one of the open tombs, tracing a large diagram.

Zero crouched next to him. "Of all days to pull something like this." It was Kaname's birthday. Despite their clashing schedules, they had managed to scrounge up a few hours and planned on a simple night out at their favored restaurant. With Natsumi missing, a celebration of any kind was the last thing on their minds. He leaned in to press his lips to Kaname's temple. "I could throttle him."

"I'm so sorry," Yuuki clenched her hands. "I should've added more wards to the library considering his…past exploits." Natsumi was notorious for his elaborate stunts (he literally couldn't go five seconds without chaos reigning in his vicinity), which his fathers had more or less taken in stride, until today.

"It's not your fault, Yuuki. You couldn't have known."

"Do you know what happened? I can hardly make sense of all that runic mess."

Kaname nodded slowly. "I've no idea what motivated him to play with something so dangerous. He is very close to breaking several minor laws of magick." He followed more of the diagram. "This is a time based charm. It's set for days." There were distinct differences to the overall runes depending on seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, or years.

Zero placed his hand flat against the carpet beneath them and poured his anti-vampire magick through it, hearing Yuuki's startled "Oh!" from behind him as faint marks of a similar diagram as the one demonstrated in the book gradually seeped up in a silvery glow. Their son's magick was so in tune with his own; pulling up its residue was effortless.

"Three days…" Kaname murmured, stepping back to study the entirety of the charm their son had used.

"What could he need three days for?"

"Zero. Here," Kaname walked around and kneeled to tap at a spot on the diagram, "these runes – they're not time based at all."

Yuuki narrowed her eyes. "I recognize those. They're dimension based."

The temperature in the library lowered significantly as the implications sunk in.

"Natsumi…" Kaname whispered darkly, his aura flaring. "He's outdone himself this time. When he gets back…" The carpet under his fingertips started to blacken.

Zero took a cautious step away from his husband sharing a look with Yuuki. "Looks like we're leaving for a few days. You and Seiren can handle everything here?"

"Mm. Do whatever you need. Just," she gestured to her brother, "make sure that doesn't get out of hand." Her brother had a formidable temper when it bothered to be roused.

Zero chuckled. "He's just worried."

"Worried or not, I'd like my nephew alive long enough to give my own lecture on disappearing without a word on his father's birthday."

"No one knows how to work the guilt-tripping better than you."

She smirked.

"Zero," Kaname called sharply, "we'll need to prepare for a week long trip at the least."

Joy.

"On it." He pulled out his phone.

. . .

No own VK.

Thanks a bunch for reading guys! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Displaced 02

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"What the hell! They're useless!" Natsumi growled irritably, glowering down at a thick tomb in an impressive resemblance to his father.

Unbeknownst to him, the Night class all eyed the library warily from their classroom, exchanging glances from the window to their notes to their Dorm President. The dominating agitation flowing from the library was putting them all on edge. A powerful vampire was clearly unhappy, and their instincts were telling them to run and hide.

Zero, unaffected by the fluctuating emotions, simply sent Natsumi an unsympathetic glance from his seat across the table.

"I don't remember this place sucking so much." Natsumi grumbled, discarding another book. "I don't know how far back I came, but that doesn't excuse—oh!" He perked up. "Hey, how old are you?"

"…Seventeen."

"All right." Natsumi nodded absently before his eyes slowly widened and he looked back up. "…_Seventeen?_ That's…you're only eight years older than me." He paled considerably. "That's more than a decade…" Shaking his head, he buried his face in his hands, groaning. "This is _so_ curse-worthy. I'm so dead. Dad, Papa, Aunt Yuuki…they'll never let me live this down."

Zero tensed at the mention of Yuuki's name. "Your aunt is named Yuuki?" What a strange coincidence.

"What? Yeah. She's pretty awesome even if she isn't as pretty as my grandmother or Papa."

If 'Aunt Yuuki' was anything like the Yuuki he knew, he wasn't above agreeing. Kaname and the chairman were probably the only males who'd ever call her beautiful. She wasn't pretty in the conventional sense.

"I thought you weren't allowed to talk about your family."

Natsumi shrugged, blowing strands of dark hair out of his face. "I'm already screwed. None of this crap is going to help me get home. If you're lucky you won't meet my parents. They're going to _flay me alive_ for this." He shuddered. "Leave a flower for my ashes will you? I like lilies."

Zero lowered his lids in amusement. The kid was prone to melodrama of annoying proportions. He must be a handful to his fathers, whoever they were. Vampires or not, they had his condolences.

"Oi, stop looking at me like that," Natsumi pouted, "you remind me of my Dad when he's laughing at me in his head."

Zero let out a faint smirk.

"Jerkface." Natsumi muttered, deliberately diverting his attention to another book.

Watching him, Zero still thought the kid looked a lot like Kaname. It couldn't just be his coloring. The way he moved and carried himself was distinctly Kaname-like. Even now, with his chin lightly propped up by a loose fist, gaze lowered – it doubled with Kaname's image whenever he was overlooking notes during class. (Yuuki had pointed him out while they were on patrol enough times for the image to stick.)

Recalling the conversation during lunch regarding the boy's parents, he debated whether he should take this as an opportunity to learn more about them, if just to narrow down what sort of threat Kaname was referring to.

"Your fathers, are they—" He cut himself off with a startled wince, stumbling out of his chair. Holding onto the edge of the table, he covered his face with his free hand and tried to regulate his breathing. His body was trembling in shock. It'd felt as though something had gone _off_ with a tremendous force of energy nearby, sweeping over them like an unseen tidal wave, the charged air crackling ominously as it dispersed.

Natsumi was up and out of his seat in a flash, seemingly unfazed by the huge discharge of whatever-the-hell-that-was. "Are you all right? You felt that too, didn't you?"

"What…?"

The boy smiled weakly. "I think Dad and Papa are here. Speak of the devil(s), huh?"

His eyes widened.

"I need a pen or something," Natsumi muttered, and eyed Zero's blazer, shoving his hand in its pocket. Uncapping the pen he found, he took one of Zero's hand in his and quickly scribbled a medium sized symbol on the back Zero had no idea how to make out, much less if it meant anything. Natsumi's fingers were surprisingly steady, and he adapted the tip of the pen to the curves and bumps of the back of Zero's hand as if he'd drawn on it numerous times before.

When he was done, Natsumi blew on it, most likely to dry the ink, and Zero blinked as his body felt a lot lighter, noticing the tremors and jittery feeling had stopped altogether.

"What was that?" He questioned.

"My parents making a point and me fixing it so at least you won't suffer for it. You remember when I came here neither you nor the chairman reacted like this? Well, that's 'cause you're not supposed to. My parents though, let go of a lot of energy on purpose, on a wide scale, so that I'll know they're here."

They both stiffened as they heard the library doors swing open.

"Papa." Natsumi whispered, looking up and turning his head.

Zero's senses prickled, feeling a foreign vampire walking the premises. There was a familiarity to its presence, but a definite difference, a distinct sense of _wrongness_ he couldn't place.

Then the vampire spoke, and he _knew_.

"Natsumi, please let me know you are here."

Low, smooth, dark, yet gentle – he would recognize that voice anywhere.

And before he could tell the kid to wait, Natsumi bolted, his form nearly blurring as he cried, "Papa!"

Rushing after him, Zero unsheathed Bloody Rose (because this was all getting way too fucking convoluted he needed something that gave him a measure of safety, that he wasn't helpless, never helpless, never again, not like that night) and came to an abrupt stop near the entrance of the library as soon as he had the strange vampire in sight.

Arms wrapped tightly around his father's neck, Natsumi was babbling non-stop, and while Zero would have thought it amusing in any other circumstance, he couldn't take his eyes off of Natsumi's father, currently on his left knee, pressing kisses to Natsumi's hair, his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, and finally at his lips, silencing the incoherent rambling.

"Never again, Natsumi," _he_ murmured. "You've given us a terrible scare. You seem to have been treated generously here; you're not injured, and I'm fairly confident your emotional distress is from our possible reactions to your 'dropping out of the blue' and nothing else."

"Yes, Papa." Natsumi giggled weakly. "The chairman's real nice. He would have let me stay however long without threats or bribes."

"How fortunate for us."

"Where's Dad?"

"He's with the chairman, my love. He will be expecting us." Natsumi's father pressed another kiss to Natsumi's hair and stood up to lead them back outside.

Once the doors closed behind them with a disturbingly loud click, Zero let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He was sure Natsumi's father knew he was there, that he was watching, but whether out of kindness or simply wanting to avoid awkward confrontations, he had ignored him, keeping his attention on Natsumi.

"…Kuran Kaname…?"

It shouldn't be possible, but that vampire had undeniably been him. Zero remembered Kaname's words during lunch and didn't doubt this was the 'threat' he had been referring to.

Glancing at his watch, Zero saw Kaname would still be in class and debated between going to see him or going after Natsumi and his father, then shook his head with a snort, realizing Kaname would never just stay put in class after that energy discharge, before following Natsumi and his father's scent.

. . .

The professor was droning on about obscure mathematical equations and theory when the strange wave hit the entire class, knocking most to their feet. Kaname immediately stood from his seat, leaning a hand on his desk for balance and instinctively pushed and overwhelmed the foreign energy with his own, at least for the perimeter of the classroom, to calm his classmates. He was fairly certain this was only affecting vampires and the humans on campus would be left unharmed. Yuuki would be safe.

He needed information, however. Whatever had invaded the academy didn't feel like anything he had ever encountered.

He vaguely spared a thought to Zero, hoping the younger boy wasn't freaking out (he tended to get trigger happy when stressed) and if he knew anything regarding what just happened.

"Takuma." He ordered, and once he saw the blond nod, he left quickly, racing down the halls of the building to head for the chairman's office.

. . .

He didn't even make it to the building when he caught sight of two figures with Natsumi along with Zero and the chairman at its entrance. They were both tall, near the exact same height, one a brunet and the other with hair suspiciously close to Zero's pale shade of moonlit silver.

Calming his pace to a reasonable rhythm, he nodded a greeting to the chairman and Zero before settling his gaze on the newcomers.

"We've more visitors, I see," he said by way of introduction.

"Ah, yes," the chairman laughed nervously, looking between he, Zero, Natsumi and the strangers. "They're…Natsumi's fathers."

"Kuran Kaname." The brunet smiled. "Though I'm inclined to think you already know."

Physically, he might have a few years on Kaname, which in actual years, could range between decades to centuries. His hair was shorter, barely coming past the top curve of his ears, and had gentle waves at its tips that framed his face elegantly. There was an openness about him reminiscent of their father, Haruka, though not even their father could manage his level of…contentment. He lacked the tension that usually came with landing in a foreign world with no idea of its structure and values.

"Kiryuu Zero." The other murmured, and Kaname wondered if this man was the reason for Kuran's composure. Though nearly identical on the surface, the Zero he knew could never pull off what most would label as 'lighthearted boyish charm'. Kiryuu had every characteristic of being a fierce hunter, but he also had room to be a playful puppy, to laugh and joke, and not mind if he was having a particularly bad day. He was (as impossible as it seemed) _laid back_. How bewildering.

A tight knot forming in his throat, Kaname nodded again. "I'd…assumed. Natsumi looks too much like Kiryuu-kun to not be of some relation to him."

He saw Zero scowl out of the corner of his eye and held in a reluctant smile of his own.

Kuran laughed softly. It was polite, but full of delight…and oddly enough, approval as well as satisfaction. "Doesn't he? So many tend to see the dark hair and eyes first, but Natsumi is all Zero."

Kiryuu shook his head, the gleam in his eyes (so like Zero's, and yet so different) amused and exasperated. "And I keep telling you, he's a spitting image of you."

Natsumi coughed pointedly, cheeks flushed. "I look like _both _of you, okay? Can you guys keep the flirting to a minimum? It's kind of embarrassing."

"I would keep comments to a minimum," Kuran said back. The steel underlining his voice was one Kaname was very familiar with. He used it himself, as had his father on occasion. "You're in a fair amount of trouble, love. Your aunt is looking forward to…what was the phrase, Zero? Ah, yes, 'tearing you a new one.'"

Kiryuu chuckled, a deep, solid sound that startled Kaname with how genuinely warm it was. He briefly wondered if Zero could ever laugh that way. Probably not, but the idea had merit. If he could ever be persuaded, Yuuki might be able to work her charm. "She'll pepper you with kisses first, sweeten you up, and _then_ dig her claws in."

Natsumi shuddered. "So mean," he whimpered. "You guys are supposed to love and protect me from evil aunts and eviler cousins."

Sending the boy a fond look, Kiryuu turned to the chairman. "Thanks for letting us stay here. It isn't necessary, but the academy is ideal for gathering what we need. It'll be a few days at the least. A week at most."

"Of course, of course. And if you need anything else, let me know."

They were staying? Kaname sent Zero a questioning glance and received a confirming nod in return. Well then. "If your rooms haven't been readied, you are free to stay in the Moon dorms. We've a few vacant rooms, and as the Night class will be attending a trip this weekend, you'll have two and a half days to yourselves."

Kuran and Kiryuu exchanged a glance, seemingly having entire conversations with their eyes, before they answered positively. Simultaneously. With the same inflection to their tone, and their expressions containing traces of mischief that set off alarm bells in Kaname's mind. It was nothing less than unnerving.

They were planning something and making it obvious that they were.

"The chairman mentioned the trip, yes," Kuran said thoughtfully. "I did so worry for Natsumi, but now that I know he's been taken care of so wonderfully, I'm not against leaving him with you." He placed his hands on Natsumi's small shoulders and gently pushed him forward. "Natsumi would be delighted if he could accompany the Night class on this trip; he's terribly curious about this section of the world, it would do him well to see as much of it as he can before we leave."

Brightening, Natsumi bounced. "Really, Papa? You'll let me? So fucking awesome!"

"Language." Kuran automatically chided. "Will you?" He asked Kaname.

Before Kaname could offer a reply, the chairman chirped, "Oh, that's fantastic! It's a great idea! Please, please consider it, Kaname." He looked so hopeful Kaname couldn't bring himself to outright reject him.

"…We can arrange accommodations for him."

"There's no need." Kiryuu said. "Natsumi can share a room with either you or your Guardian."

"We'd rather if he stayed with one of you." Kuran agreed.

Coming to understand Natsumi was...rather rambunctious, Kaname couldn't argue otherwise. It would be better for the boy to stay with him, however, as he doubted Zero would be happy with having to share his space on top of being forced to attend a trip he didn't want to go on.

"That's fine."

"Excellent, thank you. Natsumi, you must be on your best behavior. If I hear you've gone even one step out of line…"

"Your ass is fried to kingdom come." Kiryuu finished.

"Got it Dad."

"And get a gift while you're there." Kiryuu added. His slight smile was endearingly sweet.

Natsumi slowly tilted his head in confusion before he seemed to figure out whatever his father was referring to, and grinned. "You're such a sap, Dad. You better watch it or Papa might get jealous."

Kiryuu playfully tweaked his nose in retaliation. Then took a casual hold of his partner's wrist. "Natsumi, we'll be at our rooms." He said abruptly, heading for the Moon dorm.

Kuran frowned softly. "Zero—"

"Don't make me carry you. I'll do it."

Kuran huffed, but followed after him.

Clearing his throat, the chairman pushed up his glasses. "...Are they all right?"

Fidgeting with his sleeves, Natsumi bit his lip guiltily. "Papa must be really tired; I didn't notice until now. He brought himself and Dad along through the charm and then used extra to let me know he was here." He explained. "Most purebloods would have passed out by now." He shifted restlessly. "He'll need a lot of blood."

Dread filling his heart at the consequences of teenaged vampires smelling such rich blood nearby, he ordered, "He must feed away from campus grounds. If the Night class—"

"Er, why?" Natsumi blinked. "They're…you know, married? It means feeding is monogamous. No vampire will be interested in a married vampire's blood." He sounded bemused by their ignorance. "Is it different here? This place is so weird." His lip curled distastefully, his expression that of perfectly crafted aristocratic disdain. "It's considered barbaric to take from a married vampire. Someone would have to be really desperate to try to steal Claimed blood. It's totally punishable by death. It's more severe than physical rape."

"Will those standards apply to vampires here?"

"It's an innate instinct thing, so it should; like a chemical reaction. Claimed blood just doesn't hold any appeal." Natsumi took a breath. "You…don't really want to see what my Dad will do if he sees other vampires bloodlusting after Papa. He won't care if it's different here. Your Night class won't have vampires in it anymore to make it a class. The same goes for Papa. Except that the class will be gone quicker. Seriously. No joke. You should know what _we're_ like."

Kaname slowly nodded. He hadn't missed the twin guns decorating Kiryuu's hips and had no desire to see them in action. He didn't have to think about what Kuran was capable of. He was himself, after all. "I will need to warn the students. Kiryuu-kun, I suspect you already know what to do, and chairman, I would hope all of this is kept…contained."

. . .

Zero tried not to feel suffocated by the mass confusion filling the room to the brim and beyond. The Night class was apparently getting run through the grinder tonight. First by Natsumi's moods, then the arrival of Natsumi's parents, and now they found the same people who had so strongly unsettled them were going to be staying in the same building, sleeping under the same roof – and they couldn't do a thing about it.

They trusted Kaname, but they were also scared. Not enough to be out of control, but annoying nonetheless. If Kaname could keep from flailing and stuttering like an idiot, he couldn't see why the rest of them shouldn't have to. Ichijou Takuma, Shiki Senri and Touya Rima were the only three that seemed completely at ease. The former looked fascinated while the latter two were just about ready to drop into a coma, they were so utterly bored.

"Natsumi's parents are guests here, not unlike foreign dignitaries. Treat them accordingly."

They all nodded like puppets on a string and filed out of the room. Takuma stayed behind and bubbled, "May we speak to them? They might be gone by the time we're back from our trip, and since we're leaving before dawn tomorrow…"

"You may try, Takuma, but if they refuse…"

"I'll leave them alone, I promise."

Zero held in a snort.

"See that you do. Goodnight, Takuma."

"See you tomorrow."

Natsumi had been right about the Claimed blood he talked about earlier, strange as the concept was. Not a single Night class student had gone charging after Natsumi's dad for his blood and peace had been maintained for another day. It was surreal to think vampires _not_ lusting after blood, whatever its source, but in Natsumi's world, one only needed to be married to stop trailing others' throats with their eyes.

If just for that, he envied Natsumi's parents and their relationship. The ability to control his thirst…it was nothing more than an unattainable dream for him. He would forever rely on Yuuki and her unbelievable generosity and self-sacrifice unless he put an end to it himself or Kaname did it for him. Lord knew the pureblood was constantly looking for the perfect opportunity.

"Kiryuu-kun, thank you for your assistance tonight."

"You knew."

Takuma blinked over his shoulder in surprise at them (it wasn't everyday they spoke without spitting insults at each other), but merely smiled and continued to the door, letting it fall quietly shut behind him.

Kaname nodded, not even having to think about what he was talking about. "As I said, it was an assumption, a...hypothetical opinion based solely on observation. I could have very well been wrong."

"But you knew you were right."

"...He smelled too strongly of you to be anything other than father and son."

That was another thing. "He doesn't smell much like me."

But Kaname just had to have an answer for that too as he said, "That is the way with our kind. It's common for parents to see more traits of their partner in their child than of themselves - especially if they're particularly affectionate. It isn't so different from humans labeling certain characteristics or habits as a genetic inheritance."

"Even with scents?"

He regretted asking the moment he received a level stare obviously reconsidering his intelligence. "I hope I needn't explain the process of procreation, Kiryuu-kun. I hear you're doing exceptionally well in your biology course."

Biology? And how the hell did Kaname know what his academic standing was? He kept getting creepier by the hour. "You can smell the...other half of your partner better in your kid?" That was all sorts of bizarre.

"It is our way." Kaname nodded. "We don't require DNA testing to identify the parent of a child."

Uh, convenient.

"You want to know why I refused to tell you."

Zero shook his head, voice dry, "I can take a guess." _And the first three don't count_.

Dark eyes twinkled amusedly. "So you can. And you find it valid."

He hated admitting anything to this evil little manipulating son of a... "Yes."

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask after?"

"You said 'threat'. How and why?"

Kaname frowned, the twinkle in his eyes now more of an introspective spark. "...I believe I might have overestimated your reaction. You don't see the other Kiryuu Zero as an extension of yourself, but as a completely separate individual. You were able to rationalize a clear division between you two." He paused. "I feared you'd be pressured by seeing a version of yourself as a father."

"A version that's married to a version of you." He pinpointed. That was what had Kaname acting on impulse and inviting him out to lunch. He thought Zero might actually lose the last connection he had with mistress Sanity and let loose his bullets on undeserving victims if he learned who Natsumi's parents were.

"Yes. You're taking this very calmly."

Zero glared, knowing Kaname would get the silent, "Don't be an idiot, idiot," that he was conveying by it. He could accept Kaname as Natsumi's father, it seemed natural, what with their shared...aspects, but him as the other? It wasn't in his realm of possibilities; he'd immediately disassociated himself from the situation, from the idea that he could... It wasn't right. He wasn't like that, and therefore, the man (_older, laughing, smiling, **married**_) wasn't him or vice versa. It had been simple to do. He'd had enough practice and 'this' was just so..._improbable_ it would be harder not to.

"Regardless, the trip will not be as difficult with your cooperation. Whatever motivation lies behind your even temper, I am glad for it. I'll ensure Natsumi is out of your way-"

"Why?"

Garnet eyes sharpened. "...No, I suppose you wouldn't." He said softly after a few minutes, as if unconsciously voicing the last strand of thought. The smile that curled his lips was honest, even if Zero had no idea what it meant.

. . .

"Comfy?"

"Mm. It'll have to do."

Zero chuckled, stroking his husband's hair, pulling the covers over them. He couldn't really tell the difference between this bed and their own back home, but it figured Kaname could.

Kaname took a moment to nuzzle Zero's throat before his lips twitched as he remembered the events of the day and he laughed out, unable to hold back, "Did you feel—"

"The UST? You could cut it with a spoon." Zero grunted, knowing exactly what he was about to mention.

"They're…very stubborn. I do wonder about their animosity, false as it is."

"I must have done something stupid." Zero shook his head sadly. "Must have completely ruined my chances with him here."

"You?" Kaname frowned. "He's not you, Zero. _You_ are my husband and the father of our child._ He_ is not. Please do be careful with your words. And you're hardly as oblivious." He stuck the last bit in like an afterthought.

"You were just fortunate enough to meet me _after_ my awkward teenage years of wondering what my purpose in life was and getting angsty over a chipped nail."

"From what you've told me of them, you still kept a modicum of sense. You could recognize attraction when you felt it." He sniffed, indignant on behalf of his husband. "The only similarity you have with the Kiryuu Zero of this dimension is your physical appearance. That stranger wearing your face is not you. He is much too lost…too hateful to ever be you."

Running his hand in soothing circles over Kaname's back, Zero smiled, tender and adoring. "Maybe he just needs a Kaname of his own to make him better."

"Ridiculous." Kaname dismissed. "Nobody can tell him who he is. It's something he must figure on his own."

"He can have help though, can't he? Isn't that why you let Natsumi go on the trip? You wanted better for him." Zero said gently.

"And Kuran Kaname." Kaname added. "He's something to be pitied, staring the love of his life in the face and daring to not acknowledge the fact."

"Two days isn't much."

"We will see."

. . .

Thanks for reading :D


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